Peter Pledges Loyalty to Jesus at the Tableby CBPepper
22:33Luke 22:33
And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
On the last evening with His disciples Jesus warned Peter that Satan desired to sift him and that he would three times deny knowing Him, and Peter answered with a sincere promise of love that he was ready to go with Him both into prison and to death. That promise was presumptuous self-confidence, spoken in full assurance without knowing his own weakness, falseness and hidden self-love, and claiming a constancy and love greater than the other disciples. Jesus knew his heart accurately, saw the peril beneath the profession, had prayed for him and sought to rescue him and give him hope, yet did not force him but let him face the consequences of his own course. The confident words failed under test, for fearing for his safety and fearing scorn Peter repeatedly denied his Lord, at last with cursing and swearing, and forsook Him just when he could have confessed Him bravely in His humiliation. The verse therefore teaches that bold promises and self-trust are defeated in trial, and safety lies only in distrusting self and trusting wholly in Christ, while remembrance of failure brings bitter grief, repentance and conversion to a humbled, teachable life of service.
Peter's Confident Declaration
Peter meant every word when he declared himself ready to go with Jesus both into prison and to death, and the declaration showed sincere love and loyalty. He spoke in full sincerity with confident assurance that he was ready to suffer imprisonment or death for his Lord. Yet he was deluded by his own supposed goodness and did not know the weakness and falseness in his own heart. Hidden elements of self-love and self-assurance were slumbering in his soul, and when circumstances fanned them into life they would overbear even his love for Christ and prove his eternal ruin and loss to the cause of God unless he was made conscious of his danger.
The promise was presumptuous self-confidence and self-sufficiency, spoken in full assurance that his course was right. He claimed a constancy superior to the other disciples and a greater love than his brethren, believing his loyalty stronger than theirs. He had not learned to distrust himself and to watch himself with jealous care, and he still held wrong ideas of what Christian character requires. He was not yet a perfect man, though joined to Christ as a co-laborer, and he still needed correction from Christ's teaching, remaining a learner whose character must be molded after Christ's example.
He spoke these words on the last evening spent with the disciples, in reply to a true and compassionate warning. Jesus warned him that Satan desired to sift him as wheat and that he would deny knowing Him three times. The warning was given to prepare and strengthen the disciples for a severe trial, for their faith would be tried by Jesus' rejection, humiliation, betrayal, condemnation, and death. Peter resented the warning and answered with self-confidence that he would remain loyal even to imprisonment and death and would never do what he had been warned against.
Christ in compassion saw beneath the outward profession the peril of Peter's soul. He knew Peter accurately, knew his heart, and knew he would fail. He had prayed for him, and reached out to rescue him and give him hope through the assurance of that prayer. Yet He did not force him, but let him face the consequences of his own course when the trial came as foretold.
Denial and Repentance
Peter's boast brought him nearer to ruin, for by resenting the warning and trusting himself he broke connection with Christ and invited temptation, leaving himself to feel his own weakness under Satan's arts. That self-confidence rested on his own strength rather than on the help he had been urged to seek, and left him unprepared, so that at the critical hour in Gethsemane he slept instead of watching with Jesus in sympathy and heartfelt prayer. When Christ needed him most he thus stood on the enemy's side and openly denied his Lord.
The confident words failed under test, for fearing for his own safety and fearing the scorn he would face as a disciple, when accused of being a disciple during the trial he repeatedly denied knowing his Lord. The third denial came with cursing and swearing, and with the other disciples he forsook Him and fled. This was just when, in the judgment hall, condemned and humiliated wearing the shameful crown of thorns, he could have confessed Him without shame or unwillingness and shown the bravery and fidelity he had promised.
Afterward he remembered both his promise in the upper chamber and Jesus' warning, and felt bitter grief and shame at the contrast between his confident words and his failure to acknowledge his Lord during the trial. He grieved that he had forsaken and dishonored his Lord, for his later denial revealed that he had not known the weakness and falseness in his own heart, though Jesus had known him accurately and foretold it. Jesus turned a sorrowful, reproving gaze on him at a distance, and that look melted his heart and saved him.
That remembrance brought bitter weeping, repentance for his great sin, conversion, and preparation to strengthen his brethren. Humbled, he abandoned vehement assurance and comparison of his devotion with the others' and his own opinion of his loyalty, and appealed to Jesus, who reads all motives of the heart and knew his heart, to judge his love. His fall taught him lessons that can be learned only through failure and made him a better man, for Christ permits His children to fall in temptation and trial to purify them as fire purifies gold, and when the heart has not been hardened, repentance with humble fervent prayer saves from death and lifts through confession and restitution to higher ground. Though his impetuous and hasty character had often made him appear more faulty and brought reproof, his rashness and self-assurance were changed, his zeal was regulated by grace, and he became calm and teachable and able to care for the flock, with a later life of service and sacrifice testifying to that grace.
Distrust Self Trust Christ
The promise to go with Him both into prison and to death was sincere in love and loyalty, yet it was full assurance and presumptuous self-confidence that the course taken was right, and that boasting brought Peter nearer to denying Him because self-trust is defeated in trial. Bold promises of faithfulness cannot by themselves withstand temptation, for confidence resting on self rather than on recognized weakness leaves a person unprepared when scorn and danger come. Strength lies not in what poor, finite beings suppose they are able to do, but in what Christ will do for them, so safety is only in distrusting self, watching the self with jealous care, and trusting wholly in God and in the wisdom of God with strong, persevering faith in the Leader. Peter had not yet learned to be jealous and distrustful of himself, though joined to Christ as a co-laborer, and he learned that lesson only after he was overcome by the devil's temptation and denied his Lord.
Human beings are deceived about their spiritual strength when Satan comes between them and Jesus, and they cannot accurately judge their character without testing. They must trust Christ's truthful words rather than their own judgment and confidence, or human words and expectations.
No responsibility or position keeps one from falling under temptation, and past faithfulness and past success in working for Christ and closeness to God give no protection once connection with Christ is cast off. Self-confident boasting with the spirit of let others be afraid but not I casts off fear and caution and breaks connection with Christ, and then Jesus leaves the boaster to himself to feel his own weakness. Workers for Christ are not yet perfect men, though joined to Him as co-laborers, but still hold wrong ideas of what Christian character requires and still need correction; they must remain learners, repress unfavorable traits, and have character molded after Christ's example or they are unfit for the work, unlike those who like Judas remain hearers only and end in betraying their Lord.
Many today stand where Peter stood in self-confidence and self-sufficiency, and because of such self-sufficiency they fall an easy prey to Satan's devices, for those who trust in self are easily defeated. Those who realize their weakness trust in a power higher than self, and while they look to God Satan has no power against them. If God's cautions are not heeded a fall is ahead, for Christ will not save from wounds the one who places himself unbidden on the enemy's ground, but lets the self-sufficient one who acts as if he knew more than his Lord go on in supposed strength, with the result of suffering and a crippled life, or perhaps defeat and death.
Christ permits His children to fall in temptation and trial in order to purify them as fire purifies gold, and the fall taught Peter lessons that can be learned only through failure and made him a better man. When the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance, and humble fervent prayer saves the soul from death while confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins. When they repent of wrongdoing He helps them to stand on higher ground.
On the last evening with His disciples Jesus warned Peter that Satan desired to sift him and that he would three times deny knowing Him, and Peter answered with a sincere promise of love that he was ready to go with Him both into prison and to death. That promise was presumptuous self-confidence, spoken in full assurance without knowing his own weakness, falseness and hidden self-love, and claiming a constancy and love greater than the other disciples. Jesus knew his heart accurately, saw the peril beneath the profession, had prayed for him and sought to rescue him and give him hope, yet did not force him but let him face the consequences of his own course. The confident words failed under test, for fearing for his safety and fearing scorn Peter repeatedly denied his Lord, at last with cursing and swearing, and forsook Him just when he could have confessed Him bravely in His humiliation. The verse therefore teaches that bold promises and self-trust are defeated in trial, and safety lies only in distrusting self and trusting wholly in Christ, while remembrance of failure brings bitter grief, repentance and conversion to a humbled, teachable life of service.
Peter's Confident Declaration
Peter meant every word when he declared himself ready to go with Jesus both into prison and to death, and the declaration showed sincere love and loyalty. He spoke in full sincerity with confident assurance that he was ready to suffer imprisonment or death for his Lord. Yet he was deluded by his own supposed goodness and did not know the weakness and falseness in his own heart. Hidden elements of self-love and self-assurance were slumbering in his soul, and when circumstances fanned them into life they would overbear even his love for Christ and prove his eternal ruin and loss to the cause of God unless he was made conscious of his danger.
The promise was presumptuous self-confidence and self-sufficiency, spoken in full assurance that his course was right. He claimed a constancy superior to the other disciples and a greater love than his brethren, believing his loyalty stronger than theirs. He had not learned to distrust himself and to watch himself with jealous care, and he still held wrong ideas of what Christian character requires. He was not yet a perfect man, though joined to Christ as a co-laborer, and he still needed correction from Christ's teaching, remaining a learner whose character must be molded after Christ's example.
He spoke these words on the last evening spent with the disciples, in reply to a true and compassionate warning. Jesus warned him that Satan desired to sift him as wheat and that he would deny knowing Him three times. The warning was given to prepare and strengthen the disciples for a severe trial, for their faith would be tried by Jesus' rejection, humiliation, betrayal, condemnation, and death. Peter resented the warning and answered with self-confidence that he would remain loyal even to imprisonment and death and would never do what he had been warned against.
Christ in compassion saw beneath the outward profession the peril of Peter's soul. He knew Peter accurately, knew his heart, and knew he would fail. He had prayed for him, and reached out to rescue him and give him hope through the assurance of that prayer. Yet He did not force him, but let him face the consequences of his own course when the trial came as foretold.
Denial and Repentance
Peter's boast brought him nearer to ruin, for by resenting the warning and trusting himself he broke connection with Christ and invited temptation, leaving himself to feel his own weakness under Satan's arts. That self-confidence rested on his own strength rather than on the help he had been urged to seek, and left him unprepared, so that at the critical hour in Gethsemane he slept instead of watching with Jesus in sympathy and heartfelt prayer. When Christ needed him most he thus stood on the enemy's side and openly denied his Lord.
The confident words failed under test, for fearing for his own safety and fearing the scorn he would face as a disciple, when accused of being a disciple during the trial he repeatedly denied knowing his Lord. The third denial came with cursing and swearing, and with the other disciples he forsook Him and fled. This was just when, in the judgment hall, condemned and humiliated wearing the shameful crown of thorns, he could have confessed Him without shame or unwillingness and shown the bravery and fidelity he had promised.
Afterward he remembered both his promise in the upper chamber and Jesus' warning, and felt bitter grief and shame at the contrast between his confident words and his failure to acknowledge his Lord during the trial. He grieved that he had forsaken and dishonored his Lord, for his later denial revealed that he had not known the weakness and falseness in his own heart, though Jesus had known him accurately and foretold it. Jesus turned a sorrowful, reproving gaze on him at a distance, and that look melted his heart and saved him.
That remembrance brought bitter weeping, repentance for his great sin, conversion, and preparation to strengthen his brethren. Humbled, he abandoned vehement assurance and comparison of his devotion with the others' and his own opinion of his loyalty, and appealed to Jesus, who reads all motives of the heart and knew his heart, to judge his love. His fall taught him lessons that can be learned only through failure and made him a better man, for Christ permits His children to fall in temptation and trial to purify them as fire purifies gold, and when the heart has not been hardened, repentance with humble fervent prayer saves from death and lifts through confession and restitution to higher ground. Though his impetuous and hasty character had often made him appear more faulty and brought reproof, his rashness and self-assurance were changed, his zeal was regulated by grace, and he became calm and teachable and able to care for the flock, with a later life of service and sacrifice testifying to that grace.
Distrust Self Trust Christ
The promise to go with Him both into prison and to death was sincere in love and loyalty, yet it was full assurance and presumptuous self-confidence that the course taken was right, and that boasting brought Peter nearer to denying Him because self-trust is defeated in trial. Bold promises of faithfulness cannot by themselves withstand temptation, for confidence resting on self rather than on recognized weakness leaves a person unprepared when scorn and danger come. Strength lies not in what poor, finite beings suppose they are able to do, but in what Christ will do for them, so safety is only in distrusting self, watching the self with jealous care, and trusting wholly in God and in the wisdom of God with strong, persevering faith in the Leader. Peter had not yet learned to be jealous and distrustful of himself, though joined to Christ as a co-laborer, and he learned that lesson only after he was overcome by the devil's temptation and denied his Lord.
Human beings are deceived about their spiritual strength when Satan comes between them and Jesus, and they cannot accurately judge their character without testing. They must trust Christ's truthful words rather than their own judgment and confidence, or human words and expectations.
No responsibility or position keeps one from falling under temptation, and past faithfulness and past success in working for Christ and closeness to God give no protection once connection with Christ is cast off. Self-confident boasting with the spirit of let others be afraid but not I casts off fear and caution and breaks connection with Christ, and then Jesus leaves the boaster to himself to feel his own weakness. Workers for Christ are not yet perfect men, though joined to Him as co-laborers, but still hold wrong ideas of what Christian character requires and still need correction; they must remain learners, repress unfavorable traits, and have character molded after Christ's example or they are unfit for the work, unlike those who like Judas remain hearers only and end in betraying their Lord.
Many today stand where Peter stood in self-confidence and self-sufficiency, and because of such self-sufficiency they fall an easy prey to Satan's devices, for those who trust in self are easily defeated. Those who realize their weakness trust in a power higher than self, and while they look to God Satan has no power against them. If God's cautions are not heeded a fall is ahead, for Christ will not save from wounds the one who places himself unbidden on the enemy's ground, but lets the self-sufficient one who acts as if he knew more than his Lord go on in supposed strength, with the result of suffering and a crippled life, or perhaps defeat and death.
Christ permits His children to fall in temptation and trial in order to purify them as fire purifies gold, and the fall taught Peter lessons that can be learned only through failure and made him a better man. When the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance, and humble fervent prayer saves the soul from death while confession and restitution hide a multitude of sins. When they repent of wrongdoing He helps them to stand on higher ground.